Same difference

Watford v Hull City

Sunday 11^th May

Our play-off semi-final first leg was full of incident and we actually played pretty well. With a Danny Shittu header disallowed after only five minutes, the boisterous Yellow Army might have been forgiven for thinking we’d score at home at last but with Nathan Ellington anonymous throughout, it was left for Jobi McAnuff to have the best (missed) chances with Tamas Priskin forcing a good save from their keeper and man-of-the-match, Myhill. However, way before the Hungarian impressed, we’d let in two early goals. The first derived from a mistake by centre-back Danny Shittu, who clashed into Mat Sadler out in the left-back’s position, leaving their winger to cross for a shot from Nick Barmby to slip under keeper Richard Lee. Fifteen minutes later after another scramble, Lee was unable to get up quick enough to stop a header from Dean “who ate all the pies” Windass.

The fans stayed behind the team for once and willed a goal before half-time that didn’t come. We started the second half in blistering form but that goal didn’t come and then our captain, John Eustace, got himself sent off for the second time in a couple of months and although we remained the better team, our chances of reducing the deficit ahead of Wednesday slipped by.

A point won

West Bromwich Albion v Watford

Saturday 12^th April

Jun, Joss and I visited the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and took in some Rodin and Canaletto to use up the extra hours we had arriving for a 3 o’clock kick off when Sky had obliged a 5.20 start. We ate and watched a little rugby in a Wetherspoons and then left Jun in the town centre to catch a tram from Snow Hill. A few other Watford boys were on the platform but I talked to a Baggies fan as we disembarked at the Hawthorns.

The start could not have been better: six minutes in and we were a goal to the good but as there was no stadium announcement it wasn’t until after the game that we discovered it was Leigh Bromby who’d poached his first Hornets goal following a corner. The team sat back somewhat after that and Jordan Stewart, Lloyd Doyley and Danny Shittu all made vital contributions to keeping us ahead at the break, which afforded the fans their first opportunity to sit. However, the home team levelled soon after half-time. One WBA free kick had gone over and another hit the crossbar in the first half but early in the second a third led to a headed goal and although we’d had other chances to score during the first forty-five it was West Brom who played the better football and looked most like getting a second in the rest of the match. Three or four great saves from man-of-the-match Richard Lee earned us a good point.

As most of us had no doubt expected a mauling after Wednesday, relief was probably the dominant feeling among the travelling Yellow Army and with Bristol City and Hull drawing in their games too, Stoke were the only top five side to get three points and they are top again. Watford remain in fifth and likely to enter the play-offs.

We met Jun and, due to a rail replacement service, caught a couple of buses to Bedworth via Coventry, where Brian and mum picked us up after eleven. Cups of tea and trifle finished off the day, but not before “Nanny and Grandad” received the Xmas presents we’ve been holding for more than a hundred days. Sunday we spent some time in the garden and went bowling, where the younger Watford Boy won two of the games before we trained it back home.

Two points lost, one place gained

Watford v Norwich City

Tuesday 4^th March

Walked to the Vic and there’d been some sort of power failure resulting in silly-size huddles by the turnstiles; I was huffing but the mood wasn’t like the MK game. Watford were dominating possession when I belatedly joined Joss in a wet and half-empty row, with a nod to a neighbour, and within a few hundred seconds Danny Shittu emerged as subtly as a cliché at a player-of-the-season awards ceremony to head another goal from a set piece.

Before the match Betty had come into the Rookery and shaken Joss’ hand (which beats me catching the ball a game or two ago) as he encouraged the twelfth man. The eleven dominated again but seem to have moved away from long balls down the middle only for long throw-ins and percentage play up front. Norwich didn’t make the same mistake twice and after the Duke, a square peg in the round Watford Way hole, missed a couple of free-kicks and Doris didn’t create anything, we ended up with three men trying to head the same ball with no opposition players in the picture. There were boos when scorer-in-the-last-game Jordan Stewart came on and more jeerers within five or ten minutes (a poor corner and a worse free-kick later) and inevitably some blaming him when Norwich equalised late on to win a lucky point.

A draw put us up a place to second behind the Robins, who got a point at Charlton. Walking out we heard the Baggies had won with the last kick of the game so the pressure is on. We are feeling it. The next two games are away at Ashton Gate and home to third-placed Stoke. We really needed all three points tonight and the Yellow Army was damp.

Predictably drawn

Charlton Athletic v Watford

Saturday 16^th February

Each of the last three meetings between these sides has ended with honours even but Charlton would have been expecting better when they went in at the break 2-0 up. Betty’s rousing speech in a huddle on the pitch after the break galvanised the team (as did John Joe O’Toole’s second-half appearance (Tuesday’s red card has been rescinded)) and we were level ten minutes after the break. JJ got the first and Danny Shittu made up for an earlier own-goal by heading in again at the same end for his current rather than former team. This was a better point for us than for our promotion rivals.

...and we're playing at home

Watford v Crystal Palace (FA Cup 3rd Round)

Saturday January 5^th

Whichever end of the table a team is at, it has become routine for the question to be posed of whether a cup run is a “distraction” from important league business, perhaps because it is unlikely to be little else (a lucrative distraction at most) for any but the top four clubs. Waiting outside the stadium for Joss, I was pleased to hear our team was at full strength, not least because it gave us another chance to break this terrible run of home form. Today was not meant to be taken as a distraction.

Crystal Palace have been the form team of the division, not having lost since we went to Selhurst Park at the end of October (which also marked a turning point in our fortunes). Betty won the Manager of the Month Award, often portrayed as a curse, after that month of victories, and Palace’s Neil Warnock comes to the Vic having just been given the same accolade. All the omens are in place, then.

Joss and I took our seats a few rows from the back of the Rookery (you can change for cup games) and saw Watford boss the early exchanges with the fans right behind them. So far, so much like our last home outing but only half way into the half we take the lead when Danny Shittu heads in a corner; it has been seven games since we’ve gone ahead at home and we agree we’ve got a much better view of it.

Watford’s style of play has been derided as “hoofball” by many, including some of the Watford supporters, and there are shouts to “get it on the ground” at every match. Today, though, we played some better passing football and were less reliant on the long ball. Jobi McAnuff attacked well and Tommy Smith also had the better of his man though both Marlon King and Darius Henderson were unable to profit from the crosses coming in.

Supping on our rapidly-cooling hot chocolate at half-time (a one-litre flask seems too large to do its job) we felt confident the ‘Orns could win the match against an opposition that had made several changes in an attempt, perhaps, not to be distracted from the league. The second half mirrored the first in many ways including Shittu’s second goal. With ten minutes to go King and Henderson were substituted for Nathan Ellington and Tamas Priskin, the latter of whom showed some fantastic touches whereas the “Duke” seemed nonplussed. With a few minutes left we serenaded Shittu off to the African Cup of Nations with his song: “Chim-chimaney, chim-chimaney, chim-chim-cheroo: Who needs Sol Campbell when we’ve got Shittu?” and he saluted us back as he left.

Fourth round, here we come. I’ll take a home draw against anyone outside the big four (or away to one of them). In the meantime, we have to negotiate the transfer window. Gavin Mahon has now become a QPR player and we’ve signed Lionel Ainsworth in full (two loan deals made permanent). We need someone to cover Danny and we’re all hoping that Marlon will stay.

Blowing it

Watford v Cardiff City

Wednesday 26^th December (Boxing Day)

Boxing Day train services are non-existent but I failed to learn this lesson from last year. Consequently, Jun and I had to shell out for a taxi from Wembley to Kerry’s, having left it too late to sit on a replacement bus service. Note to self: next year (if there’s a home game) get the jubilee line to Stanmore and then a cab. Joss told me about his share of the commercialism of the season as we walked to the Vic. Last year’s PSP was stolen recently, so now he’s got a slim white one.

WFC have not won at home in five matches and today’s game does not break the drought. We concede after 34 minutes in boring match that inevitably has people asking whether the players have had too much turkey. After the break, our new captain Jay Demerit (Gavin Mahon has lost favour with Betty, apparently) slotted home a pass from Nathan Ellington (his second assist in two games) but the Bluebirds went ahead again less than ten minutes later. It took until the last couple of minutes of normal time for Watford to get any sense of urgency but by then, many fans had given up and left.

Three minutes of extra-time were awarded and in the fourth of these, Jobi McAnuff got his second goal for the club, a curler from fifteen yards through a packed penalty area high into the top corner. Phew. A home draw against a middling side was suddenly such a relief. Meanwhile, WBA thrashed Bristol City at the Hawthorns, going above us on goal difference.

Kerry made us some food before Jun and I got our second and third taxis of the day (total £58) distributing presents to the nephews and nieces. Later Terri gave us a lift back to Stanmore station and I sang along to Alanis Morissette’s “Ironic”. I’ve always been uncertain about the examples she gives when delineating what the term means, but for a team who wanted to make the Vic a fortress to have the best away record in the country while struggling at home, perhaps we could use her version of the word, don’t you think?

Watford v Queens Park Rangers

Saturday 29^th December

I met Rod and Ticktock at the gates at Euston for what will probably be the little fella’s last game of the season as he is being sent away to boarding school. Not just for his sake (as he told me the Arsenal and Manchester United fans at school “hate Watford”), I hoped he’d see a home victory again, this time against the side second-bottom. I reminded him of the term “plastic supporter” in order to give him something to counter with. We met Joss while queuing to pick up their tickets and got into the ground in good time.

The game started signifivantly more up-tempo than Boxing Day’s had been and Watford had Rangers on the back foot. Then, with less than quarter of an hour played, Jordon Stewart brought down one of their players in the box, a penalty was conceded and dispatched and we were a goal down. “One-nil to the billionaires” the substantial visiting support sang. Supposedly the Rs are the richest club in the country, perhaps the world, since their takeover by Bernie Ecclestone.and Flavio Briatore and more recent investment from Lakshi Mittal.

The rest of the half provided good Watford pressure and two more QPR goals, one directly from a corner and another that was well made. Lee Williamson hit the post but the ‘Orns went into half-time without having replied. The Rookery, which was singing well today, was surprised to say the least but I don’t think I was alone in thinking that the way we were playing we could score four in the second half.

The four of us shared a ridiculously large “Dairy Milk” bar that Rod had bought and had a little hot chocolate from my new one-litre flask. I had to tell them that despite the size of the defecit, we were actually playing a lot better than in the last match.

Seven minutes after the break and Damien Francis had got on back for us and it seemed possible that we could get at least another home point but as we got closer and closer to the end without a second goal, that hope diminished. Not wanting to keep everyone waiting at the end, I went to the toilet with ten minutes left only to return to a tide of Rookery fans pouring out. We had conceded a fourth. I took my seat laughing. Within another two minutes, Darius Henderson had nodded the ball down for Danny Shittu to smash home against his former club but 4-2 it finished.

Joss and I directed Rod and Ticktock back to the station and walked to his place where I picked up my presents from mum. Later, on the train back, I overhead a Rangers fan describing it on his mobile to a mate as “A day that will go down in QPR history”.

Never say die

Watford v Southampton

Sunday 16^th September

Got up late, ate and left, buying an Observer to read in first class on the train, where I was joined by another Watford fan and some neutrals going to the match, whose conversation I was mostly glad to keep my head buried away from. Stuck my bike in Kerry’s back garden (she was on the computer that Phil brought round) and Joss and I left soon afterwards and made it in with a patch of sweat on my retro Watford shirt just after Z-Cars again.

The results yesterday (most specifically 3^rd placed Bristol City (the Robins) winning 3-0 at top-of-the-table Coventry to pip them) meant that a home win today would put us on top of the pile at least until midweek and I considered putting money where my mouth was but feared jinxing the Golden Boys. Yeah, this rational atheist still succumbs to superstition where football is concerned. Which footie fan doesn’t occasionally wonder if their presence, absence or decision-making isn’t somehow connected to the fortunes of their team?

The only change from the last match was Nathan Ellington starting for Darius Henderson but that was probably predicted by many who saw the problems he created 2 weeks ago. Watford started well and had the first chances (Jobi McAnuff blasted wide) defending the Rookery end but it was a cross from Southampton in the tenth minute that Lee Williamson deflected towards his own net that was the nearest to a goal. Luckily our Latvian keeper Marty Poom got across to his right to keep it out and then we continued to apply pressure until we scored just after the fortieth minute, Danny Shittu steaming in to head in a Tommy Smith cross (with power reminiscent of his headed goal in last seaon’s Carling Cup game against Newcastle) that might otherwise have been Ellington’s first Watford goal.

Unfortunately we couldn’t hold on to the lead until half time. There had been obvious communication problems between Poom and both Shittu & Jay DeMerit, which tells me it is the keeper’s fault, but the ball that led to the goal was just played between the two centre-backs, with Shittu out of position, for Rasiak to slide it in. Joss and I went to look for Matt and Jake at half-time to talk about going to the QPR match together but within five minutes of sitting down for the restart Watford (Marlon King and Ellington) had had two excellent chances which had both resulted in powerful shots being put within reach of the goalie. I was just wondering why they couldn’t place it low rather than blast it high.

So it was that Southampton took the lead with a great looping shot from Dyer past Poom. The space he had, though, was probably again a result of Shittu making a decision not to close him down immediately. The frustration was tangible but I wasn’t feeling it. We had dominated the match overall and I said to Joss that we could still score. I joined in quickly and loudly with chants and started “Aidy Boothroyd’s Yellow Army” a couple of times, urging the lads on.

Henderson had come on for the tiring Ellington a few minutes before Southampton took the lead, and some nice passes led to Smith passing to a very-far-forward Lloyd Doyley, who crossed for the sub to even things up with ten minutes left to play. Into injury time the Saints’ fans “Let’s all have disco” songs had faded from memory when King, who the team were carrying to some extent, won a free kick that was cleared to Gavin Mahon, who pelted it back in for Henderson to have a bite at before toe-poking it into the net with his left foot.

3-2 at the final whistle a minute or so later and a thrilling game was won by the better team. What was really heartening was the desire they showed to win after going behind and the belief that they could. We walked back very content with the spectacle but most especially the result. If games ended after 80 minutes, last season we would have ended up in 14^th position (I read somewhere) but so far this season we are the team getting the late winners. That’s the mark of success.

Something from nothing

Reading v Watford

Saturday 5^th May

Jun and I picked up a waiting Joss at Euston and tubed to Paddington where we were commended by some passing Millwall fans for our “passion” in the face of relegation. After Rod and Air turned up, we commenced the half-hour train ride and then got onto a 79 bus for the impressive Madejski stadium. I predicted defeat since Reading are still playing for a place in the UEFA cup whereas pride was insufficient motivation to get us anything at Sheffield United last week.

Sat high up in the South Stand, we had an excellent view of the action, the first-half of which saw Reading attacking the goal below us. Ben Foster (“England’s number one,” again, we have short memories) made a couple of crucial interventions and the debutant Cedric Avinel was lucky not to concede a penalty that Leroy Lita was looking for. Watford started without Clarke Carlisle (suspended after the FA looked at his actions last week), Jay Demerit (given a break ahead of international duty) and Hameur Bouazza. Douglas Rinaldi went off injured after only ten minutes Avinel looked slow and clumsy and was carded before being substituted at half-time.

The atmosphere was better than at the Vic: chants often echoed around the whole stadium but it was the Reading fans to our immediate right that usually led. One of their chants involved the notion that Reading in Europe was “insane” but when the good-humoured Watford crew at the back of the stadium sang “Scunthorpe on a Tuesday night” in return, the reply “Europe on a Thursday night” was a tad unimaginative.

We went for refreshments but it took more than the whole break to get served so I missed the first ten minutes after the restart but not too much action, apparently. Jun had said she thought we could take them and I was inclined to agree if only because they penetrated but didn’t look capable of getting past Danny Shittu or Foster. So it was that a free kick led to Danny Shittu being in so much space he was able to pass the ball into a half-empty goal. The five of us celebrated but I still thought we’d be lucky to hold out for a draw.

Foster made another fantastic one-handed save at point-blank range and, coming into the last ten minutes, I feared the worst. I went to tell Rod about our propensity for letting in late goals but he said Joss had already told him and it was clear that the younger Watford Boy was enjoying sharing his knowledge. Five minutes before the end of normal time Tommy Smith weaved down the left and crossed. Their American keeper made a hash of it and Marlon King was there to head in from a yard or so out.

Two goals away for the first time all season and three points to the Golden Boys meant that Reading’s European tour seems highly unlikely if Spurs’ form remains consistent. The most vocal area of the home crowd erupted in fights as we sang “We’re shit and we’re two nil up,” to rub it in. At the final whistle, the Watford fans stayed longer than the majority of the Reading fans despite the home side doing a lap of honour. Then it was bus, train, tube and Joss was heading back to Watford and his dad, content with a victory and watching the scraps amongst the Reading fans.